The Walking Drunk: Zombies invade Bay View bars

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Photo via brownpapertickets.com, where participants can purchase tickets for the crawl.

Special to the Tribune

Zombies are planning to invade Bay View this weekend. But don’t be alarmed, they’re not here to eat your brains, or perform a choreographed dance number. These zombies are just planning to throw back some booze, for charity that is.

Saturday, Hamburger Mary’s, a Bay View diner known for its drag queen divas, is organizing its first ever Zombie Apocalypse Charity Pub Crawl.

With the purchase of a $20 ticket you get a T-shirt, event cup and drink deals at six participating bars. All participants are of course encouraged to look drop dead gorgeous in their best zombie attire.

Though zombies traditionally shamble through the city at night, this pub crawl encourages some good old fashioned day drinking. The event goes from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m with registration opening at 1 p.m Saturday at Hamburger Mary’s, 2130 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

“I’m very excited to see everyone dress up,” said frequent Hamburger Mary’s performer, Dear Ruthie in an email. “Halloween is pretty much a daily thing for me, so anytime I get (to) see a large group of folks in costume, I get excited. And the beer. I love beer. Beer.”

Brothers Ashley and Brandon Wright, owners of the Hamburger Mary’s in Chicago and Milwaukee, are the brains behind the even. Ashley Wright explained that the idea for the crawl came from an event that a theater company in their Chicago neighborhood has done for six years but decided to put a philanthropic spin on the idea.

All proceeds from ticket and zombie make-up sales will go to three local dog and cat rescue charities, including Secondhand Purrs, Remember Me Ranch and Ruthie’s Kennel Club, Dear Ruthie’s own charity.

“(Ruthie’s Kennel Club) ‘adopts’ three to five charities per year, raises money for them over a 12-month period and then divides those donations equally among the three charities,” Ruthie said. “We strive to help smaller, grassroots groups.”

This man whould fit in well at the Zombie Apocolypse Charity Pub Crawl this weekend. Photo via www2.ljworld.com

Volunteers from each charity will guide participants to the six drinking establishments joining Hamburger Mary’s in the crawl. Stops include the Boone & Crockett, The Backyard, LuLu’s, Odd Duck, Tonic and Studio Lounge. At the bars, participants can order special drinks with their event cup or purchase regular drinks—which will be half off due to event sponsorship from the Sprecher Brewing Company.

“It’s a win-win,” said Ashley Wright, “It’s good for bar owners and also good for charities. And it’s a fun event for people to dress up as zombies and run around town.”It turns out not all zombies are heartless undead creatures that crave brains and flesh. Some may even manage to rekindle their human emotions, enjoy a couple beers and give back to their community.

Unfortunately for all the freshman and sophomore undead at Marquette, all zombies must be 21 or older to participate. Hopefully the event will rise from the grave again next to become another great Bay View tradition to to break out the fake blood for year after year.